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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29671068">Lost &amp; Found</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MouseInTheCastle/pseuds/MouseInTheCastle'>MouseInTheCastle</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Everybody Lives, Family, Fluff, Found Family, Gen, Guardian Severus Snape, Happy Ending AU, Hurt/Comfort, Kid Fic, Kidfic, Multi, Original Character Insert, Parent Severus Snape, Post-War, Slow Romance, caretaker Severus Snape</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 23:54:00</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,999</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29671068</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MouseInTheCastle/pseuds/MouseInTheCastle</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Years after the war, Severus Snape loses someone he thought was already gone, and finds someone he could have never expected.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Remus Lupin/Severus Snape</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Lost &amp; Found</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello! I resolved to try writing as of last year, so I’m still pretty new at it, but I decided to post some OC insert AU stuff that I’ve been occasionally writing for fun as my first post to AO3. I’ve had this character knocking around in my head since I was young, so I’m excited (and nervous) to share. Please enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Remus and Sirius meet a new face one morning at Hogwarts, and learn a small lesson about assumptions...</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was almost two weeks before the students arrived to Hogwarts for the new school year, but the castle staff had already come to get settled, and prepare for the new school year.</p>
<p>Remus could hardly believe it when, just a month after The Final Battle, he was asked back to his old DADA position. Sirius had also been asked to join the Hogwarts staff, as the new flying instructor and Gryffindor quidditch team coach. It had been a few years since that time, but even now sometimes Remus still felt it was too good to be true.</p>
<p>This morning, the two men decided to delay preparations, and wandered down to the groundskeeper's hut for tea and a chat. Afterwards, they were still reluctant to return to the office, so they took a walk along the edge of the forest and lakeside before finally turning to head back up towards the castle, cutting their path across the lawn.</p>
<p>As they approached the school, they came across a small figure, crouched down in a patch of clover while using a twig to poke at a rather large snail. It was a young girl, judging from the purple dress and mass of black curls that hung down and obscured the figure’s face.</p>
<p>“Well, hello there,” Sirius said, crouching down in front of the girl and giving a charming grin, “And who do you belong to? You're a bit too early if you’re here to study.” Remus smiled fondly at his friend, who dearly loved children and could never pass up the opportunity to entertain. That, and the fact that he was basically an overlarge child himself.</p>
<p>The girl jumped slightly, whipping her head up to stare at him with doll-like eyes. Despite Sirius’ remark, she seemed too young to be a student. She began to eye Sirius with a suspicious expression that felt strangely familiar.</p>
<p>“I don't belong to anyone,” she replied haughtily. Remus’ eyebrows shot up and Sirius barked out a laugh.</p>
<p>“Well said, my dear. My sincerest apologies.” he bowed as deeply his kneeling stance would allow. The girl accepted the apology with a gentle nod of her head.</p>
<p>“I'm here with my uncle.” She pointed over her shoulder.</p>
<p>Further back, standing on the cobblestone path that led to the main entrance, they saw a group of people. Among them was Professor McGonagall, as well as Dumbledore, who was gesturing with a sweeping motion, apparently in the middle of a story, Snape standing straight-backed with a notable bubble of personal space, and finally Shacklebolt, who was listening and nodding politely. The two men came to a silent agreement that she must be talking about Shacklebolt. There was no way Aberforth had such a young daughter, and they were fairly certain that Snape had no relatives to speak of. Not to mention, there was a slight resemblance to the minister.</p>
<p>Sirius looked back down to the girl. She had a darling mane of ringlets, pulled back from her face by a headband topped with a large deep purple bow, a honey-brown complexion (shades lighter and softer than Shacklebolt’s own deep, cool tones.) and large beetle-black eyes that almost glittered in the sun.</p>
<p>“I see. Is this your first time visiting Hogwarts? How do you like it?” he grinned, pulling a peppermint out of a jacket pocket. <em>‘He’s spending too much time with Albus,’</em> Remus thought to himself.</p>
<p>But the girl shook her head in refusal. She stood, dropping her twig and patting away a stray leaf from her dress.</p>
<p>“I’m not supposed to take candy from strangers. Besides, I have to go soon.”-She glanced back at the group of conversing adults-“It's almost lunch.” Then she tilted her head in thought. “The castle is weird. My uncle said magic people come here to study magic. Can you do magic, too?”</p>
<p><em>‘Muggleborn?’</em> Remus thought. The Shacklebolt family must have hidden away some squib in secret. It wasn't hard to believe, many pureblooded families had similar secrets.</p>
<p>“Yes,” Remus began “We're both wizards, and teachers here at Hogwarts. l- ”</p>
<p>But Sirius, not to be outdone, stood quickly, resting his hand upon his heart with a gasp.</p>
<p>“Strangers, indeed! Apologies again, my dear. I hope you do not think too poorly of me. Please, allow us to introduce ourselves...” Despite the use of us and ourselves, Sirius took the liberty of introducing them both with great dramatism, using his most pureblood regal tone and finishing with a low bow.</p>
<p>The girl tilted her head to the side and examined the man with a grin and a raised eyebrow, which only encouraged Sirius more.</p>
<p>“I’m Aster,” the girl replied with a curtsy and a laugh.</p>
<p>“Well, now that we are no longer strangers, I hope you’ll allow us to escort you back to the castle, as we were just heading to lunch ourselves.” the girl nodded agreeably and they all began to head towards the main entrance together.</p>
<p>They didn't have very far to go, and as they walked, Remus was content to simply listen and watch as Sirius chattered away at the little girl, who was quickly warming up to him. He looked ahead and let his gaze wander to Severus, as it often did these days.</p>
<p>He was met with a venomous expression that was almost strong enough to make him jump as if he’d been bitten.</p>
<p>Snape was glaring at the three of them, or more specifically, Sirius. The recipient of the glare was none the wiser, busy with giving the enraptured girl a summary of all the kinds of creatures that lived in the lake. Remus sighed.</p>
<p>He had thought that the years of forced interaction that came from working together had softened the sharpness between those two, at least a little bit. They had even stopped trying to hex each other, mostly. But the look Snape was giving now bordered on murderous, and Remus wondered if something happened between them recently.</p>
<p>He knew that the two black-haired men would never become friends, but he had hoped (perhaps a tad selfishly) that they would come to tolerate each other. Remus himself was surprised to find that he had gotten to know the potions master pretty well in the years after the second war. Severus was still a grumpy and private bastard, but once rid of the stress that came from being a double agent under the close watch of a crucio-happy, homicidal dark lord, Severus had mellowed quite a bit, and was finally free to show more of his real self to others. Remus thoroughly enjoyed discovering this new side to the potions master. He was intelligent, witty and did have a hidden sense of humor, dark though it was. When Remus approached him one day to make amends, they entered a reluctant acquaintanceship, but eventually, the werewolf began to privately think of them as good friends.</p>
<p>Remus sighed. <em>‘If those two could just get along, even a little bit, then maybe…-’</em> Remus shivered, his thoughts interrupted when he felt Severus’ gaze shift to him. They were nearly to the group now, and all of the others were greeting them warmly, but Severus was still looking at him with a strange expression. Clearly unhappy, but not as hateful as the look reserved for Sirius. Remus wasn't sure what it meant, but he forced himself to meet the other man’s eyes with a pleasant smile.</p>
<p>After a warm greeting from Dumbledore, Severus spoke.</p>
<p>“I see you've picked up some strays,” he said, looking down his nose disapprovingly at the little girl, who seemed wholly unfazed.</p>
<p>Sirius rolled his eyes and politely covered a cough that sounded suspiciously like <em>‘git’</em>.</p>
<p>Aster only hummed a bit and trotted away from Sirius and Remus, and past Albus and Minerva. Shacklebolt smiled as she approached...</p>
<p>...and walked straight past him.</p>
<p>Right up to Severus Snape.</p>
<p>She delicately pinched his robes at the arm and tugged twice.“I found a big snail. Is it time to eat yet? I’m hungry.”</p>
<p>Sirius’ eyes bugged, and he made a strange gurgling sound. Dumbledore quickly spoke up.</p>
<p>“Ah, I’m quite famished myself, and lunch should be starting soon. Why don't we all head in?”</p>
<p>Dumbledore invited Shacklebolt to stay and eat at the castle, but the minister politely declined. He had come to discuss some plans with Dumbledore, but stayed too long chatting afterwards and needed to return to the Ministry. He waved Dumbledore off when the headmaster went to walk him down to the apparition point.</p>
<p>“I can make it fine on my own., thank you. Please, go enjoy your lunch. It was nice catching up, Headmaster.”</p>
<p>Dumbledore then turned on Snape and insisted that the Potions Master bring his niece to eat in the great hall with all the other staff. Snape glared, but complied, strangely quiet.</p>
<p>On the way to the hall, Aster had slipped her small hand into the Potion Master’s long pale one as she walked alongside him. Snape endured it with a put upon look and a long suffering sigh. Albus and Mierva looked on with glittering eyes and knowing smiles, and Remus felt his heart tighten in his chest, confusion mingling with an unexpected wave of affection. Sirius, however, was left quiet and frog-faced with shock, and took a seat far away from Snape and the little girl.</p>
<p>To the Severus’ left sat Aster, who was being thoroughly doted upon by Albus. Remus went to claim the seat to the Potion Master’s right, but it was quickly snatched up by Minerva, who wasted no time in trying to pull the obstinate man into a conversation.</p>
<p>Remus took a seat between Filius and Sirius, and began his meal, but he couldn't keep himself from casting long glances at Severus from down the table. He thought back to the last time he had seen him, when he had gone to pick up a dose of wolfsbane, the morning of the last full moon of the summer. He had apparated to Spinner's End in a good mood, hopeful that Severus would invite him to stay for tea as he often did these days.</p>
<p>The man answered the door before Remus could knock twice, and hurried him inside. He had a strange look on his face, and was in an even stranger mood, quiet and agitated. Remus couldnt recall seeing him look so exhausted since the war. Inside the house, the atmosphere was tense and it was darker than usual. But before he could even get a single question out, he was given his potion and all but shoved out the door without even a farewell. He had been worried about the man since then.</p>
<p>His worry was heightened when he returned to school a week later. Dumbledore had introduced him to a short, round faced middle-aged woman with an American accent, and told him that the woman, a Miss Faylene Whickett, would be the new potions instructor this year.</p>
<p>Remus was initially shocked and dismayed, until Dumbledore explained that ‘everyone's favorite’ Potions Master had not left the school for good, but had decided to move to part time, teaching the advanced classes three mornings a week. Professor Sinistra would take over his role as head of house.</p>
<p>Severus often talked about doing something along those lines ever since the war ended, but Remus was still taken aback at the suddenness of it. Severus also threatened to quit teaching altogether at least twice a month, and had never followed through. By now, no one took him seriously concerning these things.</p>
<p>Remus was still bitterly disappointed and had questioned Dumbledore about the sudden change, but the headmaster only offered an unsatisfying non-answer with a twinkling of his eye.</p>
<p>In the present, he cast one last look at Severus, who was in a quiet conversation with Minerva, having apparently lost the will to keep ignoring the old cat. He tucked into his meal and decided that he would confront the other man with his questions after lunch.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>By the way, here is  <a href="https://mouseinthecastle.tumblr.com/post/627508613713428480/my-oc-aster-as-she-first-appears-in-the-story">some art</a> I did for this chapter!  </p><p>Thanks for taking the time to read! Comments would make my day! As I said before, I’m pretty new to writing, so advice or suggestions would be appreciated. But keep in mind that I'm a big baby, so please be kind. </p><p>I’m not sure when the next update will be, as life is very busy, but you can find me on <a href="https://mouseinthecastle.tumblr.com/">Tumblr</a> !, and you can find all my posts about Aster, including my own drawings and some wonderful commissions I’ve gotten done of her, in my <a href="https://mouseinthecastle.tumblr.com/tagged/oc_aster">OC ASTER</a> tag!</p><p> </p><p>Thanks again!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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